Text/Water Clear
At 121-111, the Suns beat the Nets to win 11 straight, thus setting the best record in team history with 41 wins and 9 losses, so how did the team become the front-runner this season? Three details confirm that Paul is of the utmost merit.
Solar Duo: Paul and Booker
1. 8 people scored in double figures.
A team with 6 people scoring in double figures per game is already excellent performance, and today's Suns have reached the standards of the two championship teams of the past, the Spurs and Warriors, with as many as 7 scoring in double figures (actually 8) Booker, Ayton, Paul, Bridges, Johnson, Payne and Biyombo (Kaminsky also scored in double figures, but only 9 games, negligible); in addition, McGee and Crowder also averaged more than 9 points per game.
The team can score in double figures with multiple people, on the one hand, the team's selflessness, many times to create excellent offensive opportunities; on the other hand, it needs to have an excellent organizational master to lead, and Paul, who has averaged 10.4 assists per game this season, is the first in the league, and his rain and dew are all combed, so that the team's offensive inner and outer lines are fully blooming.
Paul led the Suns through the growth of the entire team
2. 13 people in actual combat.
Paul's greatness is not only that he combs the team with one wonderful pass after another in the season, but more importantly, he can maximize the potential of everyone, for example, last season he led Ayton directly to the top interior level, led Booker to the qualified leadership level; and this season, under his leadership, Bridges has been promoted to the top 3D camp of the league, and Cameron Johnson is also cashing in on his talent step by step.
How good was Paul's leadership? Temporary worker Biyongbo not only played a few games to "turn right", and how the offensive efficiency value, net efficiency value, cover assists and card positions, etc., six statistics have reached the league's top ten level, when asked how to play such a good performance, Biyongbo said bluntly - Paul.
At this point, when we count the actual players who can enter the main rotation lineup of the Suns, in addition to the finals lineup last season, 5 people have been added, such as McGee, Biyombo, Shamet, Smith and Payton, and the Suns have as many as 13 people who can enter the main rotation lineup, and most teams this season have encountered the "safety and health" agreement dilemma, and the Suns' "playing more" advantage is highlighted, which is one of the important links they can become "winning generals".
Paul's ability to pivot key moments is still at the top of the league
Third, the ability to pivot at key moments.
So far this season, the Suns have experienced 22 games with a difference of no more than 5 points, Paul's performance: 2.7 points, 0.5 rebounds and 1 assist per game in 3.2 minutes, including 20th in the scoring league, 1st in the league, 3.7 in efficiency, and 3rd in the league. It was under paul's super leadership, coupled with the individual abilities of Booker and Ayton, and the Suns' collective style of play that the team was able to achieve a 19-3 record.
So far, looking back at the Suns' ability to achieve the first best result in the league, from driving the team with personal combing ability, to leading the growth of teammates, and the ability to determine the team's victory and defeat at key moments, Paul is really the most important, and can be called the first core of the team.